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May 17, 2017

Georgia: Immigrant Detainee Hangs Self After Solitary Confinement
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In Georgia, a Panamanian immigrant has reportedly committed suicide in
ICE custody after he was held 19 days in solitary confinement. Federal
authorities say they found 27-year-old Jean Jimenez-Joseph unresponsive,
with a sheet around his neck, early Monday morning at the Stewart
Detention Center south of Columbus. Human rights advocacy group Project
South told Democracy Now!, "The suicide of this young immigrant at
Stewart is a horrific tragedy that could have been prevented." Stewart
can hold more than 1,700 people and is run by Core Civic, the private
prison company formerly known as Corrections Corporation of America. A
year-long investigation found deplorable conditions at the facility and
lack of adequate access to mental healthcare. Court records show judges
there order more deportations than anywhere else in the country. Critics
call Stewart the black hole of the immigration system and have called
for its closure.


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